• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.627-635
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• 2019

Cement-asbestos slate is the main asbestos containing material. It is a product made by combining 10~20% of asbestos and cement components. Man- and weathering-induced degradation of the cement-asbestos slates makes them a source of dispersion of asbestos fibres and represents a priority cause of concern. When the asbestos enters the human body, it causes cellular damage or deformation, and is not discharged well in vitro, and has been proven to cause diseases such as lung cancer, asbestos, malignant mesothelioma and pleural thickening. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has designated asbestos as a group 1 carcinogen. Currently, most of these slats are disposed in a designated landfill, but the landfill capacity is approaching its limit, and there is a potential risk of exposure to the external environment even if it is land-filled. Therefore, this study aimed to exam the possibility of detoxification of asbestos-containing slate by using exothermic reaction and heat treatment. Cement-asbestos slate from the asbestos removal site was used for this experiment. Exothermic catalysts such as calcium chloride(CaCl₂), magnesium chloride(MgCl₂), sodium hydroxide(NaOH), sodium silicate(Na₂SiO₃), kaolin[Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄)], and talc[Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂] were used. Six catalysts were applied to the cement-asbestos slate, respectively and then analyzed using TG-DTA. Based on the TG-DTA results, the heat treatment temperature for cement-asbestos slate transformation was determined at 750℃. XRD, SEM-EDS and TEM-EDS analyses were performed on the samples after the six catalysts applied to the slate and heat-treated at 750℃ for 2 hours. It was confirmed that chrysotile[Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH₅)] in the cement-asbestos slate was transformed into forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) by catalysts and heat treatment. In addition, the change in the shape of minerals was observed by applying a physical force to the slate and the heat treated slate after coating catalysts. As a result, the chrysotile in the cement-asbestos slate maintained fibrous form, but the cement-asbestos slate after heat treatment of applying catalyst was broken into non-fibrous form. Therefore, this study shows the possibility to safely verify the complete transformation of asbestos minerals in this catalyst- and temperature-induced process.

• Environmental engineer
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• s.325
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• pp.14-14
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• 2013

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.407-417
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• 2020

The capacity of the designated landfill site for asbestos-containing waste is approaching its limit because the amount of asbestos-containing slate is increasing every year. There is a need for a method that can safely and inexpensively treat asbestos-containing slate in large capacity and at the same time recycle it. A cement kiln can be an alternative for heat treatment of asbestos-containing slate. We intend to develop a pilot scale device that can simulate the high temperature environment of a cement kiln using a high temperature plasma reactor in this study. In addition, this reactor can be used to inactivate asbestos in the slate and to synthesize one of the minerals of cement, to confirm the possibility of recycling as a cement raw material. The high-temperature plasma reactor as a pilot scale experimental apparatus was manufactured by downsizing to 1/50 the size of an actual cement kiln. The experimental conditions for the deactivation test of the asbestos-containing slate are the same as the firing time of the cement kiln, increasing the temperature to 200-2,000℃ at 100℃ intervals for 20 minutes. XRD, PLM, and TEM-EDS analyses were used to characterize mineralogical characteristics of the slate before and after treatment. It was confirmed that chrysotile [Mg3Si2O5(OH)4] and calcite (CaCO3) in the slate was transformed into forsterite (Mg2SiO4) and calcium silicate (Ca2SiO4), a cement constituent mineral, at 1,500℃ or higher. Therefore, this study may be suggested the economically and safely inactivating large capacity asbestos-containing slate using a cement kiln and the inactivated slate via heat treatment can be recycled as a cement raw material.

• 월간산업보건
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• no.7 s.243
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• pp.83-84
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• 2008

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.159.2-159.2
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• 2010

Asbestos is the collective name for a group of naturally occurring minerals in their fibrous form and hydrous silicates of magnesium and a mineral fiber that has been used commonly in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant. Asbestos has been used for a wide range of manufactured goods, because of its fiber strength and heat resistant properties. Nevertheless harmful of asbestos is quite serious. Exposure to airborne friable asbestos may result in a potential health risk because persons breathing the air may breathe in asbestos fibers. Continued exposure can increase the amount of fibers that remain in the lung. Fibers embedded in lung tissue over time may cause serious lung diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer. In this paper, we carried out as fundamental study for dispose of asbestos cement slate safely and perfectly. Melting Temperature of asbestos need to more than $1,520^{\circ}C$ and specially asbestos cement slate need more energy than that of pure asbestos. We need to decrease melting temperature of asbestos cement slate for economical efficiency. To the purpose, glass and bottom ash were chosen as additives for basicity control. we analyzed about properties of asbestos cements slate, melting characteristics on the additives ratio and temperature. We confirmed about harmlessness of melting slag through analysis of scanning electron microscope(SEM) and x-ray diffractometer(XRD).

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.119-131
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• 2011

The asbestos contents in some representative building materials were analyzed using JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. The changes in mineral composition during analysis process and problems in JIS method were also examined. XRD analysis of some representative domestic building materials used for roof, wall, ceiling, and floor indicates that slate have the highest asbestos content having 6.87~6.93% of chrysotile. Other building materials analyzed in this study also have 1.35~3.98% of chrysotile contents. The XRD analysis results of asbestos contents in some domestic building materials are presented in this study. This method is very effective for the asbestos content evaluation of building materials according to newly modified asbestos content regulation (Law of Industrial Safety and Health, 2007-26) that limits asbestos content less than 0.1% by Ministry of Employment and Labor. Small amount of tremolite as well as chrysotile were also observed in some samples. With consideration of crystal shape, contents and geological occurrence, it is considered that tremolite is an associated mineral of chrysotile and is not intentionally added. Complemental analyses with optical microscope and SEM/EDS are also necessary because XRD method cannot distinguish asbestiform from non-asbestiform. The XRD method applied in this study is very effective in the asbestos content analysis of building materials, specially building materials showing high asbestos concentration in residues due to the high loss rate with ashing and acid dissolution procedure.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.57-62
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• 2011

Asbestos have been used around the world because of reliable and cost-effective physicochemical characteristics. After incubation period about 15-40 years asbestos can cause various cancers, including malignant mesothelioma when inhaled into the air. These properties turned out, asbestos have been banned from using in developed countries. Also in Korea also, the use of asbestos was banned across the board by revision of Industry Safety and Health Act in February 2009. Therefore, the problem of asbestos is not when using. It is about dismantling, maintenance, and the final processing of asbestos waste. Asbestos Cement slates which is Widely distributed throughout the country as roofing materials has much scattering potential compare with inside materials. Also Ministry of Environment is planning to introduce legislation 'Asbestos Safety Management Act' through Environment Announcement and The same Act. 24 show as follows. Minister of Environment or governor should do survey on the actual condition targeting rural buildings with slates and partly or fully fund to dissolve, remove asbestos slate which was used in each buildings. Therefore, to solve these problems, database-building and necessity of management strategies have been continually arisen. So this study was performed. Its application value is very high in terms of its political, economic. Asbestos Cement Slates database could build to collect national registered building data and then using GIS, asbestos cement Slates distribution map were constructed in each province's cities and counties of the country. And this map by Application, construction was to visualize by application, construction of year. Through these results, information of Asbestos Cement Slates could visually inform to policy makers, asbestos dismantling and management contractor, and civilian and it would alleviate the gap of knowledge information. This is expected to be utilized by medium and long-term and effective plan for demolition and dismantling of asbestos cement Slates.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.13-27
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• 1988

Two asbestos slate manufacturing and seven asbestos textile plants in Korea were surveyed from May 20 to July 2, 1987. The purposes of this study were to evaluate 1) worker exposure to asbestos, 2) compliance to the standards and 3) the efficiency of existing local exhaust systems. Sixty-two personal samples and eighty-three area samples were collected and analyzed using "NIOSH 7400" method. Results of this study were as follows. 1. The asbesots exposure concentrations in asbestos textile plants were 1.3 - 14.3 fibers/cc(geometric mean(GM), 4.4 fibers/cc). 2. Worker exposure level to asbestos fiber in asbestos slate manufacturing industry was 0.21 fibers/cc during wet processing, which is below the Korean Standard of 2 fibers/cc. 3. Most local exhaust systems installed in asbestos textile plants were inadequately designed. 4. Ninety-six percent of the 145 samples exceeded the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.2 fibers/cc and forty-nine percent of the samples exceeded the Korean Standatd of 2 fibers/cc.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.242-253
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• 1998

South Korea has been producing asbestos over 60 years. The use of asbestos was over 50 years for production of asbestos slate and 27 years for asbestos friction materials including asbestos textile and brake-lining. Thus, it can be supposed that asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma could be found in the vulnerable workers exposed to asbestos in 1955-1975, given the average latency period of 10-30 years. Asbestos was produced primarily by Japanese during World War II In Korea. The production of chrysotile peaked to 4,815 tons in 1944. From 1978 to 1984, 10,000 tons of asbestos were produced annually. However, the production was interrupted by raising labor costs and extinction of mine reserves, and finally they had to depend on import for the need of asbestos. In 1945, there were 16 asbestos mines, in total, with the addition of new asbestos mines in South Korea. Imports of asbestos was increased from 74,000 tons to 95,000 tons during the period of 1976 - 1992. But the imports was reduced to 88,000 tons in 1995. Since, in addition to the import of asbestos itself, the imports of asbestos products were increased as well and the accumulation of asbestos reached to 30,000 tons during the period of 1964 to 1993. In 1965, there was only one asbestos company with 207 employees. But the size of asbestos industry has been expanded so much that 118 asbestos companies could be found in 1993 with 1,476 workers. However, there was no record on the survey of asbestos concentration to which workers were exposed in any companies in 1983. The record of the air-borne concentration of the asbestos in textile working places in 1984 showed 6.7 fibers/cc by geometric mean(GM), but it was reduced to 1.2 fibers/cc in 1993. GMs of asbestos in working places for construction materials and asbestos textiles were also decreased from 1.7 fibers/cc to 0.55 fibers/cc during the period of 1984 - 1996.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.457-473
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• 2023

Asbestos has been produced, imported and used in various industries in Korea over the past decades. Since asbestos causes fatal diseases such as malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer, the use of asbestos has been generally banned in Korea since 2009. However, there are still many asbestos-containing materials around us, and safe management is urgently needed. This study aims to examine asbestos-related trend changes using major asbestos-related keywords based on the asbestos trend analysis using big data for the past 32 years (1991 to 2022) in Korea. In addition, we reviewed both domestic trends related to the production, import, and use of asbestos before 1990 and asbestos-related policies from 2023 to 2027. From 1991 to 2000, main keywords related to asbestos were research, workers, carcinogens, and the environment because the carcinogenicity of asbestos was highlighted due to domestic production, import, and use of asbestos. From 2001 to 2010, the main keywords related to asbestos were lung cancer, litigation, carcinogens, exposure, and companies because lawsuits were initiated in the US and Japan in relation to carcinogenicity due to asbestos. From 2011 to 2020, the high ranking keywords related to asbestos were carcinogen, baseball field, school, slate, building, and abandoned asbestos mine due to the seriousness of the asbestos problem in Korea. From 2021 to present (2023), the main search keywords related to asbestos such as school, slate (asbestos cement), buildings, landscape stone, environmental impact assessment, apartment, and cement appeared.